LETTER: Gordon Birtwistle deserves praise

I FEEL I need to respond to the letter printed on Friday, January 18th, from Mr K. Royle.

I too am a resident of Burnley from birth and I believe strongly enough in what Mr Birtwistle is doing, to defend him

I do not know Mr Birtwistle personally, but I do not feel he gets the recognition he deserves. What goes on in Westmindter is way above my head – no matter who is in power – the public don’t really get a say and you have to rely on whoever your voted representative is.

But I do know Mr Birtwistle is passionate about Burnley. Before becoming MP Mr Birtwistle was, and still is, a local councillor, a post he has held for many years.

He lives in the town and knows the people of Burnley well.

Most Saturday mornings he can be found in Burnley town centre just on hand to listen to your concerns, something I can’t recall our previous MPs, Mr Pike or Mrs Ussher, doing. Sometimes it’s just nice to stop and have a natter rather than going to a more formal stuffy surgery.

It was good to see Mr Royle acknowledge the new aerospace village currently in development, but then put a negative stamp on it by relating back to the old Lucas days.

We have just lost one of the old Lucas factories, namely Gardners of Accrington Road.

It has relocated to Derby, nothing to do with Government issues.

And last but not least, the new hospital development. Say what you like, but Mr Birtwistle brought in the funding for this new build and what no-one can deny is the fact that it was the Labour administration that signed on the dotted line for our Accident and Emergency Dept to be moved to Blackburn, leaving us, the residents of the borough, without an A&E and the worry of having to get to and from a hospital where we don’t want to go.